1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a safety apparatus for automatically interrupting the flow of a fluid, in particular a fuel line, upon the occurrence of a vibration or shock, such as a seismic disturbance or earthquake. In addition, it is a device that can be turned off manually with little effort and whenever desired without the use of special tools and a device which eliminates seals to the outside environment, thereby eliminating the possibility of leakage.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various devices are known in the art for shutting off fuel systems in the event of a seismic disturbance or the like. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,331,171 to Novi requires a first ball to close the fuel line and at least a second ball, wherein a second ball is mounted within the casting in such a manner that a tremor would cause the second ball to dislodge the first ball from its pedestal and claim 11 requires the ball to close the fuel line to be mounted in a concave cup which is supported by a plurality of ball bearings and includes a concave member, as well as a resilient means (a spring or the like) for biasing the cup against the concave member. U.S. Pat. No. 4,565,208 to Ritchie requires the inclusion of a track and at least a ball riding in the track, and in addition requires the inclusion of "an obstruction" which causes the ball to leave the track when a seismic disturbance causes a ball to contact the obstruction with sufficient energy, and further requires the obstruction to include an inclined surface which extends over the track and has a height which decreases across the width of the track.